Variable-color lamp



Oct. 6, 1925.

- W. D. SMITH VARIABLE COLOR LAMP Filed Jan. 23, 1925 Patented Oct. 6, 1925.

UNITED. STATES PATENT" OFFIC-EQ;

. WILLIAM DOUGLAS SMITH, or LUMBER mum, ,Nonrn CAROLINA;

VARIABLE-COLOR LAMP.

Application filed January To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that vI, WILLIAM 1 means, for forcingsaid liquid into said cavity, and means for withdrawing said liquid from, the cavity. v. V

' Another object of invention is to provide a lighting unit having a-shade, the color of which can be varied at will, receptacles in the base of said lighting unit, and magnets for contracting said receptacles vto cause the liquid to be forced intoaspace in a shadefor the lighting unit for the purpose of chang-l ing the, color of the light emanatingfrom the shade of the lighting unit. c

Having thus stated some of theobjects of invention, a brief description of the drawings will be given. 7

-' I Figure 1 is a front elevation of lightin'g. unit. V, a.

. Figure 2 is a sectional View takenalong the lines 22 in Figure4. 5

Figure 3 is a sectional detail view showing the top of the receptacle for the colored liquid, and themann'er, of connecting it 'with' the cavity between the inner and outer globesi,

Figured is a sectional plan view taken along the" lines 44 in Figure 2. a

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail view of the top of; the outer globe. H 7,

Figure 6 is a sectional planwview taken along the lines6i,,6 in Figure 2. M

Having thus briefly described the different figures in the drawings, a more detailed description of the drawings, and the methodof operation ofthe invention will now be given in which likereference, numerals represent corresponding parts thruout the drawings. The numeral 1 represents the shell of the base portion of the lighting unit. a This shell housesthe operatingparts of the device, and has afiat-bottom portion which is adapted to be secured to. a'support (not'shown) by DoueLAs' SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residof wires 12.

2a, 1925. Serial No. 4,374.

any desired means such as screws. This base portion or shell has side portions which extend upward to the member 2 which covers the top of this shell. 7 orplate 2 has apertures there-in for the purpose of mounting a source of light and also for the passage of the liquid from the containers to the globe portion, as will be explained later, v i

On top of this platemember 2 is mounted the transparent globe 3, which is preferably made of glass, the texture of the glass or other transparent substance being of such nature as to prevent the liquid hereinafter described from adhering to the same. This globe 3 extends-upwardly for some distance, then describes an arc of 180 degrees, then extends downwardly to the oppositeside of the plate 2. The above description is for the sectional view as shown in Figure 2, it

This member being understood that the globe 3 is circular as shown by Figure 6. Upon reaching the plate 2the globe 3 projects inwardly for somedistance, then upwardly, then proceeds to follow'thev contour,of the portion 3, but a small distance therefrom, thereby leaving a cavity between the portions 3 and In other words, thetransparent portionfconsists of one globe within-another-globe, the lower ends of the same being cut o'fi, bent inwardly, and joined together, thus leaving with a continuous cavity between the. outer.

and inner portions of the globe.-

r In the center of the plate 2 there is a perforation in which is mounteda socket 10 for an electric" light 11. This socket may be of the conventional design. This socket is wired to a source of electric energy by means Within the base lthere are a plurality of flexible hollow bladders 13, four'be-ing .shown in the drawings. These, bladders are for the purposeof holding the colored liquid.

These bladders are mounted in an upright:

position and have a neck portion 1 1 which extends thru a perforation in the plate 2, said perforation being reamed or broadened in diameter in the upper portion thereof. The portion 4 of the globe has a perforation therein and a member 15 is mounted therein. This member 15 is hollow, has the lower end thereof enlarged and sharpened on its outer surface to fit the reamed or enlarged portion of the hole in the plate 2 thru which the neck of'the bladder extends.

On each side of each of the bladders there is mounted a series of elec'tro magnets 16. These are mounted on a bolt 17 which extends from the lower portion of the base 1 thru the plate 2. Above and below each bladder is a soft iron member 18 which is also mounted slidably on the bolts 17. The upper soft iron member 18 has a perforatio'n central thereof thru which the neck of the bladder passes on its way to penetrate the perforation in the plate 2.

It might here be stated that these electromagnets may be connected to any source of direct current, or may be connected to a number of dry cells for operation. These electro-magnets are connected to a source of direct electric energy by means of the wires 19 which penetrate the member 1 at the point 20.

The base portion -1 has clamps 21 connected to the upper portion thereof by means of bolts 22 which serve to hold the globe portion 5 in operative position when the device is assembled for use.

The method of operation is as follows:

The parts are assembled as shown in the drawings and "above described. In the present instance there are four different bladders in the base portion. Let us suppose that a red liquid'is poured into one of these bladders, a yellow liquid into the second bladder, a :green liquid into the third bladder, and a blue liquid into the fourth bladder. The globe portion'is then sna )ped into position and held in such position y means of the clamps21. The necks of the bladders extend upwardly thru the perforations in the plate 2 and the beveled members 15 enlarge the upper portions of these necks, fit tightly therein, and thus the bladders are directly and separately connected to the cavity 7 between the two portions of the globe. Each of the bladders has a set of electro-mag'nets on each side thereof. Each electro-magnet is wired separately from the electro-magnets of the other bladders. Each setof electro-magnets surrounding the different bladders has a switch for operation. lVhen a switch is pressed for the set of electro-magnets located on each side of one of the bladders the electro-magnets attract the soft iron members 18, the bladder is com pressed, the liquid contained therein is forced up thru the neck portion thereof and into the cavity 7 of the globe until the liquid reaches the top of the globe portion where the liquid floats the float 9 and closes the perforation 8 in the top of the outer shell of the globe. The color of the liquid will determine the color of the light rays emitted from this light unit.

hen it is desired. to change the color of the light rays emitted, the switch controlling the electro-magnets is raised, the liquid under its own weight recedes downwardly into the bladder, thus causing the color of the light rays to again assume a white aspect.

By pressing a different switch a different coloredliquid is forced into'the cavity in the globe and the color of the light rays are accordingly changed.

It is evident that this unit work indefinitely by taking precautions to have the globe made of materials capable of retaining the minimum amount of the liquid on the inner surfaces of the globe, or the 'liquid'may be of such a nature as to refuse to adhere to the globe, but will entirely recede into the bladder when the current is taken off the electro-magnets compressing the bladder.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a variable color lamp which willenable anyone to secure many colors from a single light. I desire it to be understood that I am not to be limited in the numbero'f bladders mounted in the base portion, nor to be limited in other details, butmay make such changes in construction as may fall within the scope of the appended claims. I Y

I claim: v 1. A base portion, a transparent globe mounted on the base, a transparent glo'beof lesser dimensions than the first-named globe mounted within the first mentioned globe and joined to the base'of'the'first mentioned globe, a source of light mounted in the smaller globe, a check valve mounted inthe top of the first-named globe, a bladder containing a fluid mounted below the globes and communicating with the cavity between the globes, and means for introducing the fluid contained in the bladder into the cavity, and means for withdrawing the fluid from the cavity into the bladder.

52. A base containing bladders, -electromagnets for depressing said bladders, a transparent globe mounted on the base and capable of receiving a fluid, fluids of different colors in said bladders, and connections between the bladders and the fluid receiving means in the transparent globe.

3. In a lighting device, a base portion, a plate mounted on the base portion, a source of light mounted in the base, a transparent globe supported by the base, a globe of smaller dimensions than the first-named globe within the first-named globe, the smaller globe being concentric with the first-named globe, both globes extending inwardly at their bases and being joined together and means for introducing a liquid into the space between the two globes.

4. Ina device of the character set forth in claim 3, a series of bladders mounted in the base portion, electro-magnets mounted on each side of the bladders, iron members below and above said bladders, the necks of said bladders extending upwardly and being connected to the cavity or space in the globe, said electro-magnets cooperating to compress the bladders and force the liquid into the cavity in the globe.

5. In a lighting device of the class described, a transparent globe, another'smaller globe integral and concentric with the firstnamed globe, a cavity between the two globes, a plurality of flexible containers connected to the said cavity, fluids of different colors contained in the flexible containers, a check valve in the apex of the first-named globe, and means associated with each of the flexible containers for forcing and withdrawing said liquids into and from the cavity successively, at the will of the operator.

6. In a variable color lamp shade, an outer transparent globe having a check valve therein, an inner transparent globe spaced inwardly from the outer globe and joined to the outer globe at its base, a plurality of openings extendin downwardly from the base, a source of light mounted within the globes, a base portion supporting the globes, a plurality of flexible containers located in the base portion and connected to the openings in the lower portion of the two globes, electro-magnetic means associated with the flexible containers, a liquid of any desired color in each of the flexlble containers, said parts cooperating to force any desired liquid into the cavity between the globes, and to withdraw said liquid from said cavity, at

the will of the operator.

In Witness that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereunto aflixedmy signature this the 8th day of January 1925.

WILLIAM DOUGLAS SMITH. 

